§1ὦ τοῦ στρατηγήσαντος ἐν Τροίᾳ ποτὲ §2Ἀγαμέμνονος παῖ, νῦν ἐκεῖνʼ ἔξεστί σοι §3παρόντι λεύσσειν, ὧν πρόθυμος ἦσθʼ ἀεί.
O son of Agamemnon who once commanded the army at Troy, now it is permitted for you, present here, to behold those things which you were always eager to see.
§4τὸ γὰρ παλαιὸν Ἄργος οὑπόθεις τόδε, §5τῆς οἰστροπλῆγος ἄλσος Ἰνάχου κόρης· §6αὕτη δʼ, Ὀρέστα, τοῦ λυκοκτόνου θεοῦ §7ἀγορὰ Λύκειος· οὑξ ἀριστερᾶς δʼ ὅδε §8Ἥρας ὁ κλεινὸς ναός· οἷ δʼ ἱκάνομεν, §9φάσκειν Μυκήνας τὰς πολυχρύσους ὁρᾶν §10πολύφθορόν τε δῶμα Πελοπιδῶν τόδε, §11ὅθεν σε πατρὸς ἐκ φονῶν ἐγώ ποτε §12πρὸς σῆς ὁμαίμου καὶ κασιγνήτης λαβὼν §13ἤνεγκα κἀξέσωσα κἀξεθρεψάμην §14τοσόνδʼ ἐς ἥβης, πατρὶ τιμωρὸν φόνου.
For this is the ancient Argos which you used to desire, the grove of the gadfly-stung daughter of Inachus; and this, Orestes, is the Lycean marketplace of the wolf-slaying god; and on the left here is the famous temple of Hera; and as for the place where we have arrived, say that you see Mycenae rich in gold and this ruin-laden house of the Pelopidae, from which, after your father's murder, I once took you from your sister, who is of the same blood, and carried you away, saved you, and reared you to this point of youth, as an avenger of your father's murder.
§15νῦν οὖν, Ὀρέστα καὶ σὺ φίλτατε ξένων §16Πυλάδη, τί χρὴ δρᾶν ἐν τάχει βουλευτέον· §17ὡς ἡμὶν ἤδη λαμπρὸν ἡλίου σέλας §18ἑῷα κινεῖ φθέγματʼ ὀρνίθων σαφῆ §19μέλαινά τʼ ἄστρων ἐκλέλοιπεν εὐφρόνη.
Now therefore, Orestes, and you, Pylades, dearest of guest-friends, we must deliberate quickly what needs to be done; since the bright light of the sun already awakens for us the clear morning songs of birds, and the dark night of stars has vanished.
§20πρὶν οὖν τινʼ ἀνδρῶν ἐξοδοιπορεῖν στέγης, §21ξυνάπτετον λόγοισιν· ὡς ἐνταῦθʼ ἐμέν, §22ἵνʼ οὐκέτʼ ὀκνεῖν καιρός, ἀλλʼ ἔργων ἀκμή.
Therefore, before any of the men come forth from the house, join together in counsel; for we are at that point where there is no longer time to hesitate, but it is the peak of action.
O dearest of servant-men, how clearly you show signs of being noble toward us.
§25ὥσπερ γὰρ ἵππος εὐγενής, κἂν ᾖ γέρων, §26ἐν τοῖσι δεινοῖς θυμὸν οὐκ ἀπώλεσεν, §27ἀλλʼ ὀρθὸν οὖς ἵστησιν, ὡσαύτως δὲ σὺ §28ἡμᾶς τʼ ὀτρύνεις καὐτὸς ἐν πρώτοις ἕπει.
For just as a noble horse, even if he is old, does not lose his spirit in dangers but pricks up his ears, in the same way you both urge us on and yourself follow among the first.
§29τοιγὰρ τὰ μὲν δόξαντα δηλώσω, σὺ δὲ §30ὀξεῖαν ἀκοὴν τοῖς ἐμοῖς λόγοις διδούς, §31εἰ μή τι καιροῦ τυγχάνω, μεθάρμοσον.
Therefore, I will declare what seems best; and you, giving sharp hearing to my words, if I do not hit the mark, correct me.
§32ἐγὼ γὰρ ἡνίχʼ ἱκόμην τὸ Πυθικὸν §33μαντεῖον, ὡς μάθοιμʼ ὅτῳ τρόπῳ πατρὶ §34δίκας ἀροίμην τῶν φονευσάντων πάρα, §35χρῇ μοι τοιαῦθʼ ὁ Φοῖβος ὧν πεύσει τάχα· §36ἄσκευον αὐτὸν ἀσπίδων τε καὶ στρατοῦ §37δόλοισι κλέψαι χειρὸς ἐνδίκους σφαγάς.
For when I came to the Pythian oracle, in order that I might learn in what way I might exact vengeance for my father from his murderers, Phoebus declared to me such things as you shall soon hear: that I myself, without the equipment of shields or an army, should steal by stealth the just slaughter of my hand.
§38ὅτʼ οὖν τοιόνδε χρησμὸν εἰσηκούσαμεν, §39σὺ μὲν μολών, ὅταν σε καιρὸς εἰσάγῃ, §40δόμων ἔσω τῶνδʼ, ἴσθι πᾶν τὸ δρώμενον, §41ὅπως ἂν εἰδὼς ἡμὶν ἀγγείλῃς σαφῆ.
Therefore, since we heard such an oracle, you, going inside these chambers when opportunity leads you in, find out all that is being done, so that, knowing, you may report to us clearly.
For they will certainly not recognize you through your old age and the long time, nor will they suspect you, thus adorned with grey hair.
§44λόγῳ δὲ χρῶ τοιῷδʼ, ὅτι ξένος μὲν εἶ §45Φωκέως παρʼ ἀνδρὸς Φανοτέως ἥκων· ὃ γὰρ §46μέγιστος αὐτοῖς τυγχάνει δορυξένων.
And use such a story: that you are a stranger, coming from Phanoteus, a man of Phocis; for he happens to be the greatest of their spear-allies.
§47ἄγγελλε δʼ ὅρκον προστιθεὶς ὁθούνεκα §48τέθνηκʼ Ὀρέστης ἐξ ἀναγκαίας τύχης, §49ἄθλοισι Πυθικοῖσιν ἐκ τροχηλάτων §50δίφρων κυλισθείς· ὧδʼ ὁ μῦθος ἑστάτω.
And announce, adding an oath, that Orestes is dead by a fatal accident, thrown from his wheel-driven chariot at the Pythian games; let the story stand thus.
§51ἡμεῖς δὲ πατρὸς τύμβον, ὡς ἐφίετο, §52λοιβαῖσι πρῶτον καὶ καρατόμοις χλιδαῖς §53στέψαντες εἶτʼ ἄψορρον ἥξομεν πάλιν, §54τύπωμα χαλκόπλευρον ἠρμένοι χεροῖν, §55ὃ καὶ σὺ θάμνοις οἶσθά που κεκρυμμένον, §56ὅπως λόγῳ κλέπτοντες ἡδεῖαν φάτιν §57φέρωμεν αὐτοῖς, τοὐμὸν ὡς ἔρρει δέμας §58φλογιστὸν ἤδη καὶ κατηνθρακωμένον.
And we, having first crowned my father's tomb, as he commanded, with libations and offerings of shorn hair, will then come back again, carrying in our hands a bronze-sided urn, which you also know is hidden somewhere in the bushes, so that, deceiving them by our story, we may bring them glad news, that my body is gone, already burned and turned to ashes.
For what does this pain me, when, dead in word, I am saved in deed and win glory?
§61δοκῶ μέν, οὐδὲν ῥῆμα σὺν κέρδει κακόν.
I think no word is bad if it brings profit.
§62ἤδη γὰρ εἶδον πολλάκις καὶ τοὺς σοφοὺς §63λόγῳ μάτην θνῄσκοντας· εἶθʼ, ὅταν δόμους §64ἔλθωσιν αὖθις, ἐκτετίμηνται πλέον·
For already I have often seen even the wise falsely dying in report; then, when they return home again, they are honored even more.
So I boast that from this rumor I too, alive, will yet shine upon my enemies like a star.
§67ἀλλʼ, ὦ πατρῴα γῆ θεοί τʼ ἐγχώριοι, §68δέξασθέ μʼ εὐτυχοῦντα ταῖσδε ταῖς ὁδοῖς, §69σύ τʼ, ὦ πατρῷον δῶμα· σοῦ γὰρ ἔρχομαι §70δίκῃ καθαρτὴς πρὸς θεῶν ὡρμημένος·
But, O ancestral land and gods of the country, receive me with good fortune on these journeys, and you, O ancestral house; for I come as a purifier of you by justice, sent by the gods.
And do not send me away in dishonor from this land, but as master of its wealth and restorer of my house.
Now I have said these things; but for you, old man, let your duty be your care as you go to keep watch.
And we two shall go forth; for it is the opportune moment, which is the greatest director of every action for men.
§77ἰώ μοί μοι δύστηνος.
Alas, wretched me!
And indeed, child, I thought I heard one of the servants inside groaning low near the doors.
§80ἆρʼ ἐστὶν ἡ δύστηνος Ἠλέκτρα·
Can it be the wretched Electra?
θέλεις §81μείνωμεν αὐτοῦ κἀπακούσωμεν γόων;
Do you wish us to remain here and listen to her laments?
§82ἥκιστα·
By no means.
μηδὲν πρόσθεν ἢ τὰ Λοξίου §83πειρώμεθʼ ἔρδειν κἀπὸ τῶνδʼ ἀρχηγετεῖν, §84πατρὸς χέοντες λουτρά· ταῦτα γὰρ φέρει §85νίκην τʼ ἐφʼ ἡμῖν καὶ κράτος τῶν δρωμένων.
Let us attempt nothing before we perform the commands of Loxias, and make our beginning from these, pouring libations to your father; for this brings victory to us and power over what is to be done.